He Brings Peace 

“Be kind. For everyone you meet is fighting 

a battle you know nothing about”

I read this quote this morning and began to think about the pity parties that we often hold as women, mothers and wives.

We bemoan our lot in life and we are sure that no one else is dealing with what we’re dealing with. No one else is struggling with poor health or disobedient children or home schooling dramas or a myriad of other issues. We wallow in self pity and grumble while waiting for things to change. “Why me?” rolls off our lips and our lives are filled with disappointment.

We all so often take our frustrations out on those around us. Even on people we don’t even know, by our attitudes and lack of concern.

But we forget that everyone around us is fighting a battle of some sort, and we need to show compassion, despite how we feel or what is going on in our own lives.

How quickly we are to complain. We conveniently forget God’s extravagant blessings.

We all struggle. We all have worries. We all have hard days. We all face disappointment. But we are not the only ones struggling.

We may feel our lives are harder than everyone else’s, but we don’t always know what others are going through. We don’t know the battles they’re fighting. We are not responsible for their reactions to their problems, but we are responsible for ours!

We will answer to God for how we handle the situations He brings into our lives. We need to stop and do a reality check and get things back into proper perspective.

I’m repeating myself I know, but I need the continual reminder to thank God for the blessings. Thank Him for ALL things. Not just the surface blessings, but the blessings we have as Christians. Salvation. Forgiveness of sins. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The promise of Eternal Life and countless other assurances from the Word of God. Our cups are full to overflowing with blessings which should cause our hearts to overflow with gratefulness. And as children of God, we have even more to be thankful for.

Although we don’t understand the things the Lord brings into our lives, we can trust in His perfect character and His perfect will and know that it is good and that He will use it for our good and His glory.

Choosing to focus on the positive instead of the negative, the blessings instead of the trials, is a decision we all have to make. We have a choice to make and we are the ones responsible for that choice. We make a deliberate choice to push anger and worry and self-pity away.

Knowing that God can use trials to refine us and make us stronger can bring peace and calm to our troubled hearts. Choose to recognize that no matter what happens, God can use your trial for your good and for His glory.

His Grace is sufficient. Our strength is made perfect in weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9

 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Ask God to redirect your emotions. Ask Him to help you to trust Him more. Ask Him to bring beauty from ashes.  A garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

Isaiah 61:3

 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

The Lord can and will work through the trials to bring forth good. But we need to remember that others are fighting battles too, and we are not alone. We need to realize that others struggle, and a pity party is not going to fix anything. Only looking to the Lord for help and direction will bring the peace we crave.

"He Giveth More Grace"

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as the labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will up bear.

Annie J. Flint